Newly eligible for Medicaid? Here's how to apply in Guilford County

Guilford County is preparing for an influx of new Medicaid enrollees as expansion goes into effect Friday. 

An additional 33,000 Guilford County residents are expected to become eligible, according to a county press release. Thirteen thousand of them will be automatically enrolled because they’re already part of Medicaid’s limited Family Planning Program. 

The rest will need to apply. That can be done online at ePass.nc.gov, by phone or mail, or at the county’s two social services offices — one at 325 East Russell Avenue in High Point, and another at 1203 Maple Street in Greensboro. The offices are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and appointments aren’t needed. 

Applicants are advised to bring a birth certificate and Social Security card to enroll in person. They will also need to show proof of income; most residents are eligible if they make up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). That equates to about $20,000 annually as a single adult and about $34,000 for a family of three.

Eligibility case workers will be available to answer questions during the application process. The county hired six of them in the lead-up to the expansion. Thirty other case workers are currently being onboarded. 

The county says it may take up to 45 days to process a new application.